Gov Abdulfatah Ahmed of Kwara has called for the institutionalisation of a council of Ulamas to moderate preaching by Islamic clerics.
Ahmed said was necessary to ensure that such sermons were in accordance with Islamic tenets.
A statement signed by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Abdulwahab Oba said that Ahmed made the call at the weekend at a public presentation of a book.
Ahmed said that the council should be composed of reputable and knowledgeable Islamic Scholars.
“Such a move will also provide an opportunity to instil in our youths, the values of peaceful co-existence, love, integrity and equity which, he believed, will insulate them from fundamentalist preaching through the internet and other sources.”
The governor also urged Muslims not to allow the action of a few to define and shape the perception of Islam.
He said that leaders in all spheres of life should always preach eternal values of peaceful co-existence as enshrined in the Holy Quran, in order to counter the stigmatisation of Islam.
Ahmed made copious references to various chapters of the Holy Quran, stressing that Muslims must shun acts of violence by safeguarding the lives of the innocent at all times.
The governor expressed the hope that the book would deepen the teaching and understanding of Arabic, a language which he said had made valuable contributions to the development of human kind.